The Vampire Wars
by bobbert
Summary: Join the Scooby gang and their kids as they race towards a final showdown and battle with the vampires. final story of my hidden hero's arc
1. Death and Beginings

Disclaimer- I don't own any image from Buffy the vampire slayer they belong to Joss and others. I do however own The Omega and the Vessel.

AN: To understand this story and some references you will need to read the other stories in this Arch. They are Vampire Slayer meet The Charmed Ones, The White Knight, The Secret Warren and The Battle For Humanity. This Takes place 17 years in the future.

Prologue

2018

The nurse hurried across the ICU unit to the dim room at the far side, she slipped inside and took a minute to adjust to the dim light. Her eyes focused on the slim blond woman who lay restlessly on the bed. She had lain that way for five days ever since the ambulance had rushed her here with severe neck laceration and internal bleeding. The doctors were unable to stop the bleeding internally and were surprised that the woman was still hanging on.

"Mrs. Harris," The nurse said quietly, "I brought the paper and pen you asked for."

Buffy stirred and looked towards the nurse and took the paper and pen and without saying a word started writing. The nurse stood back and watched her silently with a small tear in her eye. She thought of the woman's family, her husband and two teenage children who had been constant visitors at the hospital since they had been notified. The nurse looked towards her patient and saw her sealing the envelope. "Mrs. Harris?"

Buffy looked up at her, there were unshed tears in her eyes. "Please make sure this gets to my daughter when I'm gone." The nurse could do nothing but nod and take the letter. She would tell the doctors a few hours later that it was as if Mrs. Harris knew she wasn't going to live much longer. The family had come, the husband, and her children, sisters, nieces came to sit quietly in grief. The Nurse walked to the corner where the slim blond who looked so much like her mother was talking quietly to a boy who couldn't be much younger than her. "Miss Harris may I speak with you a moment." She nodded and followed the nurse a few steps away. "I want express my condolences to your family. I'm not sure your mother remembered me but I went to High School with her and your father. She was very special, in any case she asked that I give this to you." The nurse handed her the letter and walked away as she opened it.

_My Dearest Rose,_

_I once said that the hardest thing to do in this world is live in it, I have since realized that living in this world isn't the hardest thing I had to do, leaving it was. Rose you will have to be the strong one now, the leader. If I have one regret it's that I won't be able to see you or your brother grow up anymore. Your destiny, you know what your destiny is and it's rapidly approaching. The Fates said you would lead the Omega's Champions in a great battle. I fear that I haven't prepared you for that but your Father, Aunt Faith, and Uncle Spike will be there to help you, but know that the final decisions, often the hardest are going to fall to you to make. Tell Dawn that I'm sorry I couldn't give Elizabeth more time as a normal girl and that I'm going to join mom and grams. I saw the coming war Rose and it's not going to be easy, tell Faith, to remember her promise. Tell Willow and Tara that I'm sorry, more now because I couldn't say it when I was alive, about their baby, to lose a child has to be the hardest thing to do. The Watcher's Council has said that my greatest destiny was that of a slayer and I've been doing it for a long time twenty-four years now, but my greatest destiny wasn't being the slayer but your mother. I've lost so many people to the cause over the years. Oz, Anya, some of them faceless, those are the ones that weigh on my soul Rose, the Ones I couldn't save. Don't let that happen to you. Remember that you can't save everybody and always remember that I loved you all of you until my dying day. Don't hunt for the vampire that did this, I don't demand revenge you all will have enough to do in the coming days and months. Be safe but as much as I love you I don't want any of you to join me anytime soon._

_Love,_

_Mom_

Rose stared at the headstone and thought of the battle that was coming, she had seen it every night since her mother died. She sighed and stood walking away and not looking back so she didn't see the young boy with blond hair and big ancient eyes watching her and vanishing leaving behind a blanket of flowers over the fallen Slayer.

Buffy Summers-Harris

1981-2019

Beloved mother

Beloved wife

Beloved Sister and Friend

The Realm Of The Omega

The three sisters of Fate sit before the loom of fate, weaving the mortal threads of life in to the tapestry. The youngest sister pauses in her weaving and looks to the elder two. "It is time, the wars will begin."

The oldest sister continues weaving as she speaks. "The Warriors are true and righteous, the Omega has chosen well. Sacrifices will have to be made."

"Sacrifices have already been made," The middle sister continues. "The greatest Slayer has died so that these wars could begin and end."

All three turn to the child, the vessel that stands before them. He has blond hair and wide, ancient knowing eyes. "The Omega weeps still for their fallen warrior, but her death was necessary so that the Champion could lead. The Omega declared that help will be given when asked for, it is almost time for the new oracle to rise."

Battlefield Sunnydale 2020

The slim blond looked over the bluff down at the valley that a few short hours ago raged with war, she had lost some warriors but she did not have it in her to weep for them, she could no longer entertain such emotions as grief. The first year of this war was drawing to a close; it was January 1, 2020. The first year had changed her, in the beginning she had wept for all her fallen warriors, good men and righteous women who chose to fight the good fight. The first few months had been hard on her, she was born to lead them but had no experience doing so, it had always been her mother who led them into battle. The slim blond continues to look out over the valley as she remembers the first battle of this war, Elizabeth had only been the Slayer for a year and at that time the government was still turning a blind eye to the things that went bump in the night, they had gone into that battle with ten warriors, including herself and had left with five but they had been victorious. The battle had been harsh, the vampires had been bloodthirsty but they had still won. After that first battle she had been hopeful it would be over quickly, the vampires had other ideas. It was a nightly struggle to keep the war contained in Sunnydale, Elizabeth didn't have the training or experience needed all she had was the strength and legendary title of Slayer but still the champions of this world had flocked to her, looking to her to lead them. When they discovered, in those early days, that it was I who was to lead them, a girl with no real strength only a magick user they bulked, It didn't matter to them that I was the daughter of the worlds greatest Slayer, I wasn't the Slayer and therefore couldn't have the knowledge or strength to lead them. The inner circle of my family gathered around me showing their support, as I tried to win the approval of the others. We had won five battles before I was accepted as leader and that wasn't until I had to stake a vampire while he still had his teeth in my throat. It had been a difficult year and it would continue to be a difficult war. The blond turned at a noise falling into a fighting stance, then stood straight as she recognized the boy. "Xavier why aren't you at home?"

The boy looked so much like their father, the dark floppy hair and big brown eyes; even the grin was their fathers. "Rose it's important or I wouldn't be up at the crack of dawn now would I?"

"No I don't suppose you would," Rose said with a smile. "So what's so major important that it drug you out here at this ungodly hour."

"It's the President."

Rose looked back over the battlefield and missed the importance of her bothers words. "The president of what?"

"Duh, Rose the President of the United States wants to talk to you." Xavier said while rolling his eyes. "He's in-route to Sunnydale right now and will be at the house in a few hours."

Rose turned to her brother, "Why now?"

"A vampire attacked his Daughter," Xavier said with a shrug. "So this was the first place he thought of coming, you know I always knew those government types knew more than they were letting on."

Rose blocked her brother out as they walked back to the house; it had been a gruesome night and was shaping up to be a beautiful day. They paused at the edge of the porch, so Rose could check to make sure Xavier had remembered his ring, it was a dark blue stone set in silver, but the ring wasn't for looks it let who ever was wearing it cross the threshold of the building, Willow had put up some powerful shields, With out the ring the intruder would be thrown away from the house. They walked inside and heard the clatter and clang and smells coming from the kitchen, from the doorway they watched as their father tried to make breakfast. Rose smiled he was never adept in the kitchen.

"Daddy what're you doing?" Rose said with laughter in her voice.

Xander spun around surprised. "Rose, Xavier. Well I was trying to make pancakes but they seemed to have come out a little Cajun."

Xavier's smile widened. "Its all right Dad we're not hungry, but we need to call the gang together, the President will be here soon."

The dark-haired women, stretched to the beat of the music, letting her muscles get long and supple before she started her daily workout. She may no longer be a Slayer doesn't mean she can't stay in-shape. The ringing phone interrupts her rhythm, a year ago she would have ignored the ringing, now with the wars it was her duty to be there, to not break her promise.

"Hello." The dark beauty answers

"Aunt Faith, it's Rose."

"Hi Rosie, everything going okay?"

On the other end of the phone Rose rolled her eyes, knowing what her Aunt meant. "Yes Aunt Faith everything went fine with the battle. But that's not why I'm calling, you need to get Uncle Spike and Hope and book it over here, the president is on his way."

"Bitchen, we'll be there in two hours."

The blond walked through the apartment having been up for hours, she had felt something coming for weeks, but it wasn't the battle that took place last night, she knew that whatever was coming would be important, a step to ending this war. She walked to the window to watch the beautiful sun rise, she would have to wake Willow soon, she had a class to teach today. The phone rang. The blond moved quickly a feeling of dread over taking her

"Hello."

"Aunt Tara, It's me Rose."

"Rose is everything all right, nobody was hurt in the battle was there?"

Rose sighed, "There were a few casualties but that's not why I'm calling, You and Aunt Will need to come to the house. The President is on his way here."

"All right, we'll be there in an hour."

The dark haired man walked through the house, his father and stepmother would be here the next day and he was restless. He glanced at the wall clock, he would need to wake his wife up soon, also his daughters. Though maybe he should let Elizabeth sleep she didn't get in till very early this morning. When the phone rang he reached for it on autopilot still lost in his thoughts.

"Hello."

"Uncle Conner, It's me Rose."

"Hi Rose, What's going on."

"Nothing, I just got home, you need to get over here and bring Aunt Dawn, Elizabeth and Joy with you."

"Why?"

"The President is on his way to Sunnydale."

"Wow, all right, we'll be there soon."

The players were all assembled and briefed on last nights battle, Rose had gone upstairs for some alone time before the President arrived. Her entire family was here, and Uncle Conner's Parent's would be here tomorrow, to which Rose was grateful. They could use the help, Angel was a formidable Warrior, and the vampire's hated him. After the President meeting, they had to sit down and discuss strategy, they couldn't keep killing the vampires nightly, more were made to take the slain ones places. They needed to find a way to stop the vampires from making more and find the leader of the Vampire forces. Roses head was still circling around the problem when Willow said the President was here and she was gonna go make a door for him and his secret service agents. Rose walked into the dining room and sat at the head of the table. Her family was spread out around the table with the seat opposite her open for the President. Rose watched as the most important man in the world walked into the dinning room and sat down. She would have to kick this meeting up into gear. "President Avery. Allow me to introduce myself and the Scooby gang here. My name is Rose Harris, I'm the champion. To my right is my father Xander, my brother Xavier, My Aunt Faith, she is the balancer, her husband Spike, he is the champion of the Slayer, their daughter Hope. To my left is my Aunt Dawn, The Warren Witch, her husband Conner, their daughter's Elizabeth who is the current Slayer and Joy who is the worlds most powerful Dream-walker, then we have Tara and Willow, very powerful witches. Two members of the gang are not here at the present and will be arriving tomorrow."

The President had been shocked to realize that the woman running this war was a child no more than seventeen, he knew them, his office had run extensive reports of "The Scooby Gang" he directed himself to the girl's father. "Mr. Harris I assume you already know why I am here."

"Mr. President," Xander stopped him, "before you continue, you should know that I'm not in charge here, not the leader, Rose is."

The President turned his head to look at Rose. "Please understand Miss. Harris, that my staff and the people that help make the decisions regarding sending troops and relief in will find themselves hard pressed to take orders from a teenager."

Rose stood squaring her shoulders. "And Mr. President please understand that the people you see here and the warriors that aren't present won't take orders from one of your Generals. I was born to lead the Omega's champions in this war and quite frankly Mr. President your Generals aren't equipped with the knowledge or training to win this war."

The President also stood. "And you a mere child of seventeen is equipped with such knowledge and training."

Faith had, had enough and would have risen if Rose hadn't kept her in her seat with magick. Rose sat back down, she knew she would have to prove herself to this man and she would. "Mr. President I was raised and trained by the most long lived Slayer since the dawn of time. I was trained in magicks by six of the most powerful witches in the world. I learned strategy and decision making from the head of the Watcher's Counsel. I was trained in hand-to-hand combat by the only vampire with a soul. In the past year I've learned on the battle field how to make the hard choices and watched as good men and women died to rid the world of the vampire problem, while you and your cabinet sat and did nothing and only when your daughter was attacked do you want to take action. So I ask you Mr. President who do you think will end this war, you and your generals or me and my Champions?"

The President sat back down and studied the young woman before him. "I don't pretend to more about this than I do, I have known, as have president's before, about the vampire and demon problem but we have also known about the Slayer and that she got the job done so we saw no reason to interfere. The Initiative was before my time but since my daughters attack I have looked into the files we amassed on the project and I am curious as to why we don't capture and plant these behavioral modification chips in the vampires."

Rose looked towards Willow, who took over. "Mr. President, for as many vampires that we slay nightly there is also the fact that more can be made before we blink, the same thing would happen if we started implanting chips into their brains. Added to that it is far less cruel to just slay them."

Rose stood up once again and started pacing. "You see Mr. President we understand and realize that is futile to just keep slaying them when more will be made to take their place. The Counsel of Watchers and my own research team are looking into ways to stop them from making more. We are also searching for information on their leader, she is calling herself Empress Nero, as far as we can tell she is fashioning herself after Nero of Rome. We have taken one more step to make sure that the battles and in-fact the war itself is contained to Sunnydale. Willow, Tara, Dawn and myself have erected a shield around Sunnydale that extends to a fifty-mile radius, the shield will allow Vampires to come in but they can't go back through the shield. The shield cannot be brought down until I bring it down or until my death. So Mr. President will you help us win the War?"

The President stared around at the faces of the people surrounding him; he saw courage, conviction, and he saw in their eyes the determination that they would die for each other and the girl that leads them. He offered up a small prayer. "You will have whatever help I can give you."

T.B.C.

AN: Chapter one is done people, The Scooby gang will have government help, Stay tuned as in the next chapter we meet Empress Nero, I wonder if I should give her a fiddle LOL. In chapter one you got to meet the players, in chapter two we will learn more about them. Read and Review let me know what you thought


	2. Dreamwalking and first battles

AN: denotes flash back and Dreams

The regal raven haired woman walked through the chambers of her underground palace, and flung herself on to her throne. She looked down at her clothes and sighed, she still wore the imperial purple as was her right as an Empress and in fact in 1,958 years of her life she had changed little from the woman who married an emperor. In this life she was known as Empress Nero, she chuckled thinking it funny and ironic that in this life she chose to hide her identity behind that long ago dead husbands name. She looks towards the tapestry that holds her family tree and remembers the past. I had been the Emperor Claudius's daughter, And had been forced to marry Nero when my father was still alive, when he died and Nero became Emperor, he banished me to Pandateria and divorced me for my sister and thought to have me killed but I had the last laugh and became a vampire and got to watch Rome fall. History was partly right when they said Nero Committed suicide but what history doesn't know is that I was the reason he did so.

_I swept up to the entrance to Nero's Domus Aurea and the guards fled at the sight of me, thinking me a ghost coming back to haunt the palace. I took time walking through the gilded rooms, taking in the splendor of what had been Nero's dream until making my way to the center where Nero would have his room's, he always liked to know he was at the center of things. I stepped into the shadow's to watch him for a moment, taking in the sculpted features, the piercing gray eyes, Lushes lips, and the slim muscular body that could give such pleasure and pain in equal measures, it gave me some pleasure to know that while Nero could grow old and infirm, I would forever remain young and beautiful. I stepped out of the shadow, making a slight noise, Nero spun around, I smiled when I saw the look of fear so plainly on his face._

"_Octavia, but you're dead!"_

"_Yes husband I am dead by your order if not by your hand but the great goddess Juno in her infinite wisdom and mercy saw fit to allow me to come back and avenge my death."_

_Nero's dark eyes widened in fear, his thoughts so plain on his face. "And now you are here to kill me."_

"_Oh no Nero, you shall not die by my hands, but by your own. I was granted a look into Rome's future and in the future it lies in ruins, you shall see to that dear Emperor. Rome in the future is nothing more than a relic of the past. Remember Nero, It is better to die by your own hands than the hands of a mob."_

_I watched as he sank to his chair and wept, then I swept out of the room back to my hiding place. _

I did not find pleasure in what I had to do; I regretted the necessity of the act. I had not lost my compassion when I turned into a vampire. I did not want to destroy the human world because of some kind of deep-seated disgust for them. I was chosen to lead this crusade and my people to victory.

Joy jerked awake and sat up on the couch and tried to remember where she was, she saw Rose standing in the window watching the last flicks of the sun as it set. The dream, of course it wasn't just a dream her dreams never were, she was a dream-walker and could walk into others dreams and memories when she slept, she was pretty positive she had walked into this Empress Nero's memories.

"Rose, I dreamed of Empress Nero."

Rose turned from the window and sat down beside her cousin. "Tell me."

"Her real name or the name she had when she was alive was Octavia, she was married to Nero. After she was made a vampire, she came back and talked Nero into killing himself."

Rose nodded. "Okay we'll get Willow and the gang on this, I don't want you to walk into her dreams again."

Joy rolled her eyes. "You know it doesn't work like that Rose. Empress Nero and I seem to have a connection, Walking into her dreams and memories could lead to a weakness and a way to end this sooner rather than later. But I felt this strange emotion, I want to say she felt sorry for him but I think it was more like compassion."

Rose's eyes widened. "Well that's different I didn't think vampires could feel compassion, I didn't think the demon let them."

"That's where you're wrong sweets," Spike said from the doorway. "When you become a vampire, the demon get's the body, not the soul. That's just gone."

Joy watched her uncle pace the room like a caged jungle cat ready to pounce on his prey. "But without a soul how can they feel anything at all?"

"Listen pet," Spike said sitting down. "I was a soulless monster for over a hundred years, did many things you can only imagine and something's I wish you girls didn't imagine but I was able to love Drucilla with all that I was. Vampires can feel hate, anger, jealous, envy. The whole scope of human emotion, it makes them a little more human themselves."

Rose nodded. "All right, the sun set we need to get a team out to patrol, Uncle Spike, take Elizabeth, Aunt Faith and Uncle Conner with you and please be careful. I'm going to get the rest of the team working on what Joy found out."

She let her Uncle and cousin alone and walked into the dining room to inform the others. She asked her father to call Giles and let him know, so the counsel could look into it. She sat down herself and pulled a book towards her and lost herself in research. When Hope jumped in her seat Rose lifted her bleary eyes from her book to look at her cousin. "I found something,"

Willow glanced up from her own research. "Tell us."

Hope cleared her throat. "I don't know how useful it'll be, it just says that Nero, committed suicide and that he was the last of the Julio-Claudian Emperors."

"That jibes with what Joy told me." Rose said tapping her fingers. "Nero committed suicide but it was the vamp version of Octavia that caused it."

Hope nodded. "Well it doesn't say anything like that, but then again this Octavia went to great lengths to hide her identity, but if this Octavia is Octavia from history I did some math and she's 1,958 years old."

"Wow," Xander said impressed, "She's older than the master. The first big bad Buffy faced when she came to Sunnydale. Is there anything else Hope?"

She nodded and continued to read. "It says that in A.D. 53 Nero married Octavia, Claudius's daughter from a previous marriage. In A.D. 62 Nero divorced her and then had her killed or so he thought, so he could marry Poppaea Sabina, Octavia's sister."

Willow massaged her tired eyes. "That goes along with the little I know about the Emperors of Rome, Claudius was Nero's step-father, most historians theorize that Nero had Claudius killed so he could become Emperor. Any thing else Hope?"

"Yeah, one more thing. This passage only caught my eye because it describes the final battle between Rome and Queen Boadicea of Iceni, The author goes on to describe a woman in the early hours of the battle and the description fit's our Empress Nero to the ground plus her battle tactics and such seem to mirror the ones used by Boadicea."

Dawn looked around the group of people, her family and worried her dreams were getting more vivid; somehow she knew the time was coming for the second part of the prophecy concerning her was about to come to pass when she would become the new oracle for the Omega. She would have to tell the others before too much longer that she would be leaving them soon but that could wait. "Maybe we need to call this Queen Boadicea to us and get the skinny on Empress Nero or Octavia."

Before anyone could answer Spike and Conner came bursting in carrying an unconscious Elizabeth, Faith running in behind them, Rose was on her feet, running to her fallen cousin. "What happened?"

"We were ambushed, "Faith said, "Six vamps out of nowhere, they attacked and separated us by the time we got to Elizabeth the vamp had her down."

Dawn was frantic. "Goddess, Willow is she going to be all right? Is my daughter going to be all right!"

Willow nodded. "Yeah, it looks like she'll be fine. Just lost a lot of blood it'll make her weak for a few days, her slayer healing should already be kicking in."

Rose was concerned but couldn't show it. "Okay let's get her comfortable and get back to researching."

Dawn spun on her niece. "How can you think of that now? My daughter almost died, God what has this war done to you? Don't you have any kind of compassion left?"

Conner put a hand on Dawn's shoulder. "Dawn don't, this isn't Rose's fault."

Rose tried to keep her voice calm for what she had to tell Dawn. "My mother always told me that the final decision often the hardest ones would fall to me to make, that was my destiny. Aunt Dawn you know that the Omega charged me with leading the champions into battle, Elizabeth is the Slayer, she did her duty, if Elizabeth had died I would have mourned for her but I still have a job to do. Your daughter is not more important than the mission. Excuse me."

Rose left the room and went upstairs to her bedroom, she stood at the window and stared at the full moon, she didn't turn around when she sensed someone behind her. "She had no right to speak to you that way."

"Yeah she did, Uncle Spike. All I have to do is say the word and good people die or get hurt every time."

"There's always casualties in a war." Spike remarked.

"Casualties," she echoed. "It sounds so casual. These are good people. That I got killed or hurt." As she looked at him she continued, "I've been thinking a lot . . ."

"Okay, first mistake." he drawled

"And I can't fault Aunt Dawn for yelling at me that way," she admitted, searching herself, finding herself wanting. "I've just cut myself off from them, all of them. 'Cause I knew I was going to lose some of them, and I didn't want to . . ."

"You listen to me," Spike said quietly. "I've been alive a lot longer than you, and dead a lot longer than that and alive again. I've seen things you couldn't imagine, and done things I'd prefer you didn't. I don't exactly have a reputation for being a thinker; I follow my blood, which does not always rush in the direction of my head. So I've made mistakes. A lot of wrong Bloody calls."

He squatted before her as she sat on the bed. "A hundred plus years, only three things I've ever been sure of, your mom, Faith, and you. Rose I love you, you're my niece. I love what you are, what you do, how you try, I've seen your strength, and your kindness. I've seen the best and worst of you, and I understand with perfect clarity exactly what you are. You're one hell of a woman."

Rose was silently crying; he could only smile at her kindly, containing his own emotions. "Rose your mother would be so proud of the woman and the leader you've become. Dawn doesn't understand what is to be a leader; she's never had to lead. I love Dawn as if she were my own child but in her whole life she has had someone to take care of her, first Joyce, then Buffy, and now Conner. So she doesn't understand the hard choices are the ones the leader has to make."

Softly, she said, "I don't . . . I don't want to be the leader anymore."

"I don't want to be this good-looking and athletic," he riposted. "We all have our crosses to bear."

She smiled a little.

"Now you get some rest," he ordered her, rising. "I'll get the gang back to researching."

Spike walked down the stairs and in to the dining room where everyone was gathered now. He faced Dawn and Conner across the table. "I will only say this once Dawn, if you ever speak to Rose that way again, witch or not, Champion or not we will fight. You had no right to say those things to her. Elizabeth knew what her destiny was, what her duty was. You think she's lost her compassion, well she hasn't, when she loses a warrior or one gets hurt, she feels their pain as if it was her own, you know what her powers are."

Faith touched her husbands shoulder and he looked back at her, then over to Xander. "Sweet bit will be fine, just needs some rest."

Xander nodded. "I think we should give serious thought to Dawn's suggestion about summoning Boadicea here to get the what's what on Octavia."

Dawn nodded her head and spoke quietly. "But maybe we should wait for Angel and Cordy, it wouldn't hurt to have them here and besides Cordy was a higher being, so she should have some latent power "

Hope slipped from the dining room into the living room and watched through the window as Rose walked down the driveway. Turned to look at her cousin on the couch, in that instant she knew what Rose was doing, she was making a hard decision. She ran back to the grown ups. "Guys Rose is gone."

Rose walked through the darkened streets, most residents had gotten wise and stayed off the streets after sundown, her mind turned over Spike's words. She looked up and saw a woman moving towards her, the long raven hair and ancient clothing was a dead give away. "Hello Octavia."

Octavia smiled a predator's smile. "So you're smarter than you look. Figured out who I was. I never realized that the champion of the mortals was a little girl."

"Caerimonia Minerva, saepia saepire saepsi. Saepio impedimentum!" Rose finished speaking and an invisible fist slammed into Octavia sending her flying backwards a few feet. "I guess I ain't such a little girl now. HUH?"

Octavia stood up and charged, Rose shouted. "Protégé!" and a shield formed around her. Octavia stopped an inch from the shield and smiled. "So you're a magick user and you hide yourself behind a shield of power. The champion of the mortals is a coward."

"Who's the coward Octavia," Rose said throwing her own barb. "You learned from Boadicea but when the Romans made their final attack you ran like a scared little bitch. In 1,958 years all you did, was hide and then you waited to start this war until the most powerful slayer in history was dead, so again Octavia who's the coward?"

Octavia lost her smile. "I bided my time in exile and in hiding so that I could lead my people to a victory. You hate us because you think we're evil but the truth is you fear us because we are higher on the food chain than you are."

A fist being planted in her face that sent her flying backwards into a car interrupted her words. "You know I always hated vampire's that talk to much." Angel said as Octavia stood to her feet.

Octavia stood for a second taking in the scene than turned and ran, Angel shook his head and turned to smile at Rose who had dropped the shield and ran into his arms.

T.B.C.

AN: I know there is a lot of talking and not much actual fighting. Just stay tuned, they will call to Boadicea and get a surprise and a phone call from the watchers counsel might just turn the tide


	3. Demands and Answers

Rose backed out of Angel's arms and wiped her tears away. "You're here, just in the nick of time. You know you always have a way of doing that Uncle Angel. Where's Aunt Cordy?"

Angel smiled. "She's at the house, the others where getting worried, talking about starting a search party, I slipped out instead. Who was that?"

Rose turned towards home, Angel falling in beside her. "That was Octavia, the leader of the vampire armies. It was Joy who discovered who Empress Nero really was, she walked into her memories." Rose looked up at Angel. "So you've seen Elizabeth then?"

"Yeah I did, and she's going to be fine. She was awake when I left. Spike told me what Dawn said, she had no right Rose, none at all to talk to you like that." Rose went to interrupt but Angel held up a hand. "I also know what you told Spike, and a good leader cares about their soldiers but has to remain detached, it's the only way you can make the decisions that need to be made."

Rose didn't answer as they walked up to the front door, took a deep breath and opened it. Her family attacked her at once. Getting hugs and yelled at all at once, she slipped out to see Elizabeth who was resting upstairs. She walked into the room quietly and then looked at her cousin with guilt filled eyes. "I'm sorry Lizzy."

Elizabeth moved on the bed and looked at Rose. "You don't need to be Sorry Rose, I know what my duty is and how to get it done. That Vamp Almost had what Uncle Spike keeps saying vamps are waiting for."

"One good day." Rose finished for her.

"But he didn't Rose, so I got bit, big deal, I know you're connected mentally to all the warriors, and that you feel what they feel. Why didn't you know I was attacked?"

"I wish I knew Lizzy, I guess my powers are a little off because I'm tired." Rose looked back at the door and smiled at her brother. "Xavier what are you doing up here?"

"They sent me up here to get you. Aunt Dawn is getting ready to summon Boadicea."

Rose stood and touched Elizabeth's hand and then followed her brother down the stairs. Dawn had set up a circle of candles in the center of the living room and was lighting them one by one. Everyone was waiting quietly. Dawn cleared her throat.

"Hear these words. Hear my cry. Spirit from the other side. Come to me, I summon thee. Cross now the great divide."

In the center of the circle of lights a woman in a long white toga appeared. She had red hair and piercing grey-blue eyes. She looked around and stepped out of the circle becoming corporeal. "Why have you summoned me here?"

Rose took the lead. "Because we need your help. Octavia needs to be stopped, she learned her battle technique from you."

Boadicea looked around at the faces. "She will not be easy to defeat, she has all of Nero's skills and intelligence and none of his set backs. She wanted to learn from me and she did, I knew then as I know now what she is but taught her anyway, then she deserted me in my last hour."

"So how do we go about beating this skank down." Cordelia said suddenly. "One of her goons took a bite out of my granddaughter."

Boadicea shook her head. "I am not sure I can tell you about the past. It was so long ago and I've worked to strip it from my memory."

Willow held up a crystal. "This is a charm that will help us see those memories. All we're asking is that you remember them. Think of Octavia as Rome and us as you. Help us!"

Boadicea nodded, Willow stood in front of her and held the crystal up, all of a sudden everyone was experiencing her memories as if they were there.

In the middle of clearing the tall red haired warrior strode to the guards that held the raven-haired woman captive. "What do we have here?"

The older of the men stepped up to answer. "We caught her sneaking around the camp, she claims she is an ally, but Boadicea she wears the imperial purple."

Boadicea nodded and walked away, which the soldiers took as signal and followed shoving their captive along with them. They entered a tent and Boadicea turned. "Leave us!"

They obeyed as one; Boadicea took her time studying the woman before her. Taking in the haute looking eyes and indeed she was wearing the imperial colors of Rome. "So stranger who are?"

The regal woman raised her chin. "I am Empress Octavia of Rome."

Boadicea laughed. "That is impossible Octavia was executed at Nero's orders."

Octavia smiled. "Yes I was to be executed and as far as my dear husband knows I have been. But I will let you in on a little secret, I'm not a mortal any longer I am something far different." Boadicea watched horrified as Octavia's face changed. The forehead lowering and had ridges, the eyes turning yellow, and the teeth sharpening. "I am now a vampire."

Boadicea took two steps back before grabbing a weapon and charging the vamped empress. Octavia sidestepped her using her enhanced speed to take the spear away from Boadicea. "I do not wish to fight you. We both have a common enemy in Nero."

"Then if you do not want to fight, what is it you want?"

Octavia smiled showing her fangs. "I want to learn from you, I want you teach me your technique, your style of fighting. I want to observe your strategy so that I am prepared."

Boadicea dropped her defensive posture and sat down, gesturing for Octavia to do the same. "Prepared for what?"

"For a battle that is many years in coming." Octavia saw the doubt and disbelief in Boadicea and sighed. She was so weary. "Listen to me as one queen to another. I mean you no harm. My hatred of Nero is rivaled only by your hatred for him. He tried to destroy your people, had your daughters raped he only betrayed me, divorcing me, having me banished, then executed so he could marry my sister. Have you ever heard the old saying, beware a woman scorned? I hold no allegiance to Rome."

Boadicea was convinced and began training Octavia in the ways of war and combat. Octavia was a quick study and picked up many of Boadicea's skills. The men and women of the camp knew to leave the presumed dead empress alone during the day and even stayed far from her at night. Only one person dared befriend the vampire and that was Boadicea's daughter Cassandra. Months passed and Boadicea felt that she had taught Octavia all that she could. Yet Octavia stayed at the camp, helping in raids and small battles at night.

One night Cassandra slipped into Octavia's tent and sat and watched the vampire write in a journal. Octavia dismissed the girl and kept writing but it was the look in the girl's eye's that haunted her. She looked so defeated and weary. Octavia had watched her shy away from all men and cursed Nero. Octavia glanced up and smiled. "Cassandra, what do you want to do once this war is finished?"

Cassandra's eye's widened in all the time that she's been slipping in the tent; Octavia had never spoken to her. "I am not sure Empress, Maybe become a woman of the cloth."

Octavia smiled. "A nun, that is an admirable thing to do though I am not sure I could give up the company of men for it."

Cassandra blushed. "I could."

Octavia heard the way the girl had said I could and damned Nero again. "Cassandra there are good men out there. Your father was a good man, my father was a good man."

Cassandra just nodded her head. "Tell me what it's like to be what you are."

"A vampire," Octavia thought a moment. "I haven't been one for very long but I think it's no more than what it's like to be human. I'm just higher on the food chain than you are now."

Octavia glanced at the tent door and smiled. "Hello Boadicea."

Boadicea just nodded and raised an eyebrow at her daughter. The girl scurried away, Boadicea watched her go and sighed.

Octavia looked at the woman with compassion and spoke even though it wasn't her place. "Did you know that your daughter wants to be a nun."

"She didn't always, she wanted a husband, a home and children. Now she cringes if a man gets to close to her. You are the only other person besides her sister and me that she will talk to."

Octavia nodded forming an idea in her mind. "What is it you needed?"

Boadicea spread the map she had been carrying on the table. "There is to be a major battle tomorrow, the spies we have in Nero's court say he wants a quick end to this war. I was hoping you would fight along side us."

Octavia nodded. "Yes let us end this now and show Nero that Queen Boadicea of the Iceni is not to be trifled with."

The scene changed as the sun was setting Boadicea faces her people, her troops and knows she will have to lose some of them if she is to be victories. "It is time to end this feud between Rome and the Iceni people. It is not as a woman ascended from noble ancestry, but as one of the people that I am avenging lost freedom, my scourged body, the outraged chastity of my daughters. Roman lust has gone so far that not our very person, not even age or virginity is left unpolluted. But heaven is on the side of a righteous vengeance, a legion, which dared to fight, has perished; The rest are hiding themselves in their camps, or are thinking of flight. They will not sustain the din and shouts of so many thousands, much less our charge and our blows. If you weigh well the strength of the armies and the causes of war, you will see that in this battle you must conquer or die. This is a woman's resolve, as for men, they may live and be slaves."

Octavia looked on amazed as the battle cries from the thousands of warriors echoed over the valley, she turned then and saw the first of the Roman legion making its way into the valley, her eyes widened, this legion was vast. She made her decision in an instant and was sprinting back to the camp.

Willow lowered the crystal and sat hard in a chair. "Why did you stop?"

Boadicea raised her eyes so the other's could see the unshed tears in them. "Half way through the battle I Knew all was lost and I thought only of getting my daughters to safety. I abandoned my people and hurried back to the camp. What I found there I shall never forget not even in paradise, I found my oldest daughter Sophia dead, bite marks on her neck and Cassandra was no where to be found. I assumed the worst that Octavia had killed Sophia and took Cassandra against her will. I shall never know the truth of what happed that day as Sophia nor Cassandra joined me in paradise."

Rose stood and started pacing; she glanced at Boadicea and sighed. "She has to have a weakness, everyone has one. We just have to find hers. Boadicea, do you know what it is?"

The Queen shook her head. "Back then it was her hatred for Nero that was her weakness, she would have you believe that her hatred gave her determination and drive but she was so hell bent on seeing Nero die that it sometimes clouded her judgment but now so many years has passed and she has taken her revenge on Nero, I doubt that is her weakness any longer."

Spike shook his head. "Everyone has a weakness even vampires, back then mine was Dru, now it's my family. We just need to find hers. Do you think she might have turned your daughter in to a vampire?"

Boadicea's eyes widened with shock. "It is a possibility, Octavia showed great compassion and tenderness for Cassandra. I must go now, good luck to you all."

Xander stepped out of the kitchen; he had disappeared to answer the phone. "Guys that was Giles, him and Jenny our in route to Sunnydale the Counsel found something that could prove useful."

Rose nodded and walked over to Angel. "Uncle Angel, I have a favor to ask, could you take me to these Oracles. I need to ask them something."

Angel nodded his head and Rose turned to the group. "Okay guys, since Elizabeth is down, Uncle Conner you take, Uncle Spike, and Aunt Faith and do a sweeping patrol and please be careful. I have something to do and I'm not sure how long I'll be.

**Somewhere Under Sunnydale**

Angel turned to Rose. "Now listen, the Oracles are finicky and unpredictable. You do get in, don't dilly-dally. Ask your questions, get out."

Rose looked at the vampire. "Uncle Angel, aren't you coming with me?"

"Not allowed. I'm just the messenger this time, you're the warrior. If your heart is pure - and I do this right. (Puts some herbs in an urn) I come before the oracles for guidance and direction. I beseech access to the knowing ones "

The doorway flashes with light and Rose steps through looking around at her surroundings. The walls were a pinkish-gray marble; the floor was black stone of some kind. There were pillars, she saw that there were nine of them spaced evenly throughout the room, supporting the ceiling, and they were carved with Grecian or Roman architecture in mind. There was no furniture to speak of and the only thing that would catch a person's eye was the black stairway leading up to a domed archway.

Well, that and the two people standing at the top of those steps and staring down at her imperiously. The blue and silver toga and green and gold skin was odd enough. Rose guessed these were the oracles.

And the male was speaking to her. But they, the oracles were speaking back and forth finishing each other's sentences confusing her "Come before us, lower being."

The woman commanded regally "What have you brought us?"

Rose looked utterly confused "Was I supposed to . . ."

The male oracle looked shocked. "You call us forth and bring us no offering?"

Rose takes off her wristwatch: "I brought you this."

Woman holds out her hand and the watch flies to her: "I like Time. There is so little and so much of it."

Man: "Well?"

Rose is quiet a moment before she looks at them and demands. "I want to see my Mother."

The man's eyes widened with shock. "You demand to see a warrior that has gone on to her peace, what right do you have to ask this of us?"

Rose raises her chin in defiance. "I'm her daughter, and THE CHAMPION. My birth was prophesied by the fates long before either of you were thought of. I want to see my mother, that's not a request that's a demand!"

The female oracle's eyes widened in complete shock. "Brother, no mortal has ever made demands of us."

The brother stared at his sister getting the jest of her thoughts he shook his head. "This is a matter of the heart and therefore no concern of ours Sister. She is a lower being and we don't cave into the demands of a lower being."

She shook her head and her voice took on steel, they may have been siblings but she was far older and more powerful than him. "You are wrong brother, this child would sacrifice everything to win the war she is in, and she is no lower being."

The male oracle looked defeated. "What you ask of us is not something we can do lightly, it is forbidden by the Fates to disturb a champions peace. If we are to do so we could be destroyed."

Rose sighed. "I won't let that happen, the fates owe me and I'm sure they can hear me." She turned and spoke to the ceiling in the chamber. "If you don't want me to give up the war and quit fighting you will let these oracles summon my mother."

The sister cocked her head and stared at her brother and a smile bloomed across her face. She turned to the gateway behind them and watched as a shape took form within it. As the form Stepped out of the gateway Rose's eyes filled with tears it was her mother. Rose raced up the steps and threw her arms around her mother. "Oh god Mom."

Buffy smiled softly and held onto her daughter stroking her hair and murmuring to her, the oracles had disappeared to give the champion and slayer privacy. After a while Buffy pushed her daughter gently back and smiled at her. "Rose why have you demanded to see me?"

"I can't do it anymore Mom. I can't keep leading these people in to battle and watching them die. Lizzy was attacked while on patrol and a vamp took a bite out of her and all I could do was cover my emotions and God Aunt Dawn was right being the leader has taken my humanity away."

Buffy looked at her daughter sadly. "Rose you can't stop just because you're tired, there is no one else to lead the people except for you. This war is your destiny, and you can hate it but you can't fight it and you certainly can't quit it. I know how you feel Rose, Your father said to me after we found out about your destiny that he wondered how many more times we were going to allow fate to rule our lives, our destinies. I'm going to tell you the same thing I told Xander. Rose I tried to run away from and fight my destiny so many times and yet I kept coming back to it. We can't fight it, the best I could do for you was to prepare you for it.

"Mom I don't know how to win this war, we can't keep killing them, we fight and we fight and we don't get anywhere. This Octavia is stronger than I am . . ."

Buffy shook her head. "Rose stop it, keep thinking like that and you will lose. You have to know with every fiber of your being that you'll win. Go into those battles not thinking how many of us are going to die, but how many of them you're going to dust. That is all the help I am able to give you. Rose the rest must be up to you, my time to lead is over it's your turn now. Always remember that I am so very proud of the woman you've yet to become and even more proud of the woman you are now."

Rose hugged her mother one more time and watched silently as her mother stepped into that archway and disappeared. She took a few moments to compose herself and then turned to the Oracles. "How do I win this war, I need to win it now before anymore lives are lost."

The female smiled gently. "That we can not tell you for not even we can see the outcome of this war, it's shrouded in mystery, we dare say not even the fates themselves know. But help will be provided it is in fact on its way now to you. Go Champion and wipe the vampires off the face of this dimension."

The Oracles turned and walked towards the gateway, Rose closed her eyes for a moment and when she opened them she was standing back in the basement with Angel.

"What happened Rose? Did it work? You just left here."  
Rose shook her head and stared at Angel. "Um no Uncle Angel I was in that chamber for hours and by the way, thanks for telling me about the offering."

Angel smiled softly remembering the first time Doyle had taken him to see the Oracles. "Well what did they say?"

"I wanted to see my mother."

Angel's eyes widened. "And they let you?"

"I didn't give them a choice, I needed advice and Mom was the only one who could give it to me." Rose looked up at the night sky and the stars and sighed. "The Oracles said that they couldn't tell me how to when this war, all they could tell me was that help was on it's way. Like I'm supposed to know what that means."

Angel smiled at Rose, thinking she sounds so much like her mother. As they turn into the driveway Rose spies two people standing on the porch getting ready to ring the bell, recognizing them Rose laughed and shot out of the car telling Angel. "I think I just realized what the Oracles meant." She ran full tilt at the man standing on the porch and laughed. "Grandpa Giles. You're here."

T.B.C.


	4. Scrolls, translation and revalations

Octavia threw a vase smashing against a wall and continued to pace, berating herself for allowing the Champion to bait her into a confrontation. The child had been right in a way she had deserted Boadicea not because she had feared for her life but because she had feared for Cassandra's. She had taken the girl and killed her sister. She had eventually changed Cassandra into a vampire. They had many years of happiness together until Cassandra had found out Octavia's plan to destroy the human race. Cassandra refused to accept the plan and had on occasion tried to destroy Octavia, when those attempts failed Cassandra had tried to destroy herself even trying to walk into the sunlight. Octavia had gotten severe burns pulling Cassandra back in the shade. Octavia finial locked Cassandra in her room with guards around the clock. These vampires knew that if harm came to Cassandra their lives were forfeit and so his is how it had been for three hundred years, jailor and captive. Octavia swept out of the room ignoring the guards who bowed to her and walked straight to a heavy steel door and opened it. Octavia the gray eyed, red haired woman who looked so much like her mother at the desk writing.

"Cassandra, darling how was your day?"

The red haired woman turned to Octavia. "How am I? I'm tired, tired of being here and tired of my jailor bur most of all I'm tired of that question."

Octavia sighed. "You'll feel differently after this war is won."

"No! Octavia I want and I won't help you kill the human race. I will find away out of here and find away to get to the champion and her warriors and help her defeat you. I will have justice for the murder of my sister."

Octavia shook her head and tuned to leave the room.

Giles smiled at the people gathered around him, none related to him but his family all the same and he would be damned if he'd lose any of them. He stood taking in the group then cleared his throat. "Yes it's good to see all of you too but we need to concentrate on why Jenny and I are here."

Hope looked intrigued. "We figured you had information about Octavia and her forces."

Giles shook his head and gripped Jenny's hand. "No I don't have information on Octavia as such. It's a long story . . ."

Xander rolled his eyes. "Well G-man stop beating around the bush and tell us."  
Giles gave Xander his patented do be quiet look. "Well yes anyway when I became head of the watchers counsel, it came to my attention that Quentin Travers had held back a watchers diary and an ancient scroll that he felt the current slayer and watcher didn't need. The diary dates back to Ancient Greece, there was a very powerful Slayer at the time who just also happened to be the Queen of the Amazon Nation, her name was Melosa. By her watchers account, his name was Percy, she took the news of her destiny very well, he wrote a few pages about how hard it was to adapt to living in a nation comprised of women where men had no say. Melosa was a stunning warrior in mundane battles as well as supernatural ones. There is really only two reasons this diary caught my attention. The first being a surprisingly clear account of her last battle against a, and I quote regal raven haired woman who wore the imperial purple of Rome."

Rose gasped. "Octavia killed a slayer!"

Giles nodded. "By all accounts Melosa almost killed Octavia, Percy wrote that the battle went on for hours until our vampriess got the upper hand and was about to sink her fangs into Melosa's neck, she drained her to the point of death at which time we can only assume she would have changed her into a vampire."

Elizabeth's eyes widened. "Why didn't she then? I mean a vamped out Vampire Slayer would have been a hell of a warrior."

Giles nodded his head again. "We can only assume that was Octavia's plan but before she could accomplish it Melosa's watcher showed up with a contingent of Amazons who had wooden Arrows. Octavia beat a haste retreat, Melosa had enough strength to speak her last words to her people and her watcher."

Willow shook her head. "Giles you said two reasons what's the second?"

Giles sighed. "Part of Melosa's last words was bestowing her Right of Caste on the Slayer line."

Tara had been very quiet during the exchange took Willow's hand. "Okay, so what is a Right of Caste and why is it important?"

It was Jenny who answered. "When an Amazon dies she leaves her Right of Caste to someone, it's all most like a will in that the person inherits all the deceased's belongings, vendettas, and titles. Melosa, by bestowing her R.O.C on the slayer line charged the current slayer with finding her murderer and seeking justice and also made the current slayer the Amazon Queen."

Elizabeth stood up. "You mean that I'm a Queen."

Giles nodded. "Yes, Queen of the Amazon Nation, and able to call past Amazons here to you to aid in battle."  
Cordy shook her head. "How does Elizabeth do that Giles?"

"That brings me to the ancient scroll or more precisely two scrolls. We were able to translate the first one which had a spell that could call the past Amazons. It says that Air, Fire, Earth, and the Queen are needed."

Dawn narrowed her eyes. "Well who are the other three?"

Jenny closed her eyes. "We haven't translated much of the second scroll yet but it seems to deal with this war. All we've been able to translate is who involved. Air was born to lead them, Fire was reborn through his love, Earth gave her all for the world, and Water was ushered through the dark back into her light."

Angel looked at his son and stood up and started pacing "I really hate prophesies."

Giles smiled. "Well we assumed that the first three lines dealt with the spell to bring back the Amazons."  
Rose nodded. "Air shall lead them must be me."  
Giles inclined his head. "Yes and fire is Jenny and earth is Tara for obvious reasons."  
Joy looked around the room. "Well then who is water?"  
Giles just shrugged. "We have no idea, other than it's a woman. The only thing that worries me is that this spell needs to be cast on the midsummer sabbat that's June 21, that in two days."

Rose stood. "Well, we'll deal with it then. We really need to patrol, Aunt Faith you're with me, the rest of you help Grandpa Giles translate that scroll."

Rose and Faith were walking through Restfield Cemetery keeping an eye out for vampires and demons alike. Rose glanced at Faith. "I have a question Aunt Faith."

"Well ask away short stuff."  
"Are you sorry now that you're not a Slayer anymore, I mean you could be Queen of the Amazons."

Faith shook her head. "No I'm not sorry, being the Slayer was never my destiny like it was your moms and Elizabeth's. I'm good at being the Balancer. It's something that I could pass onto Hope."

Rose kicked a twig. "What was the promise you made to mom that you were suppose to keep?"

Faith looked at Rose for a few minutes. "You know that I didn't know that your mom and Dawn were my sisters until after you were born. You also know most of my past with your mom and the things I did. Well during our battle with Jezebel your mother was mortally wounded and I was all gung ho about getting her to a hospital. Do you know what she said to me?"

Rose shook her head, Faith smiled. "She said I won't break my promise, especially when it won't do any good. I'm not badly hurt, I'm dead, And you need to get Dawn and the others out of here. Faith, you know I'm right. Jezebel will be here any minute. Don't throw away your life. Don't throw away their lives."

Faith laughed. "And I think I said something like I don't give a damn about their lives only yours and Dawns and your mother called me a liar and told me that Tara had a last request well this was hers. She said you have power Faith, use it to save them."

Rose shook her head. "I don't understand, what does this have to do with your promise?"

"That was my promise Rose, that I would protect the people that she loved and more importantly the people I had come to love."

Meanwhile back at the house Joy had fallen asleep and had fallen into a dream. She was walking through an underground lair. She walked past a throne room, and went unseen by the guards placed around the place until she was standing in front of a steel door. Joy was able to pass right through it and into a room where a beautiful red haired woman sat watching her. Joy looked around than back at the woman. "Where am I? Who are you?

The woman smiled sadly. "You're in Octavia's lair, in my prison. My name is Cassandra."

Joy shook her head. "Why am I here?"  
"I've been calling for help, you answered my call. You must get me out of here. I have to stop Octavia at all cost. She can't be allowed to win this war."

Joy looked around. "How can I get you out of here?"  
"You've seen the layout of the lair through my eyes, you know the way here and the way to my prison. Save me so that I can stop her!"

Joy turned and moaned in her sleep; Dawn watched her from the corner and smiled softly at her daughter. Dawn stood and walked into the den for some privacy and stared out the window at the moon, all of a sudden she felt this sensation in her stomach and when she glanced down she saw that she was glowing silver. She closed her eyes and remembered Charlotte's words about her being the next oracle for the Omega. Dawn opened her eyes and watched as the silver light surrounding her turned white and she felt the power of the Omega flow through her completing the prophecy that was made about her seventeen years ago.

Two things happened at once, the front door opened and Joy screamed, sending Dawn running into the other room to find Elizabeth kneeling in front of her sister. Joy's eyes found Dawn's. "I've found Cassandra."

T.B.C


End file.
